


Dressrosa Academy

by yahcanigetuhhh



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, High School, M/M, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-11-28 13:36:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11419065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yahcanigetuhhh/pseuds/yahcanigetuhhh
Summary: After a run in with a group of Outsiders, Sanji is given the opportunity to make his dream a reality: to enroll at Dressrosa Academy, a school built specifically to house those born with Traits; extraordinary abilities that defy science or belief. Attending the school as an under cover agent however, was not something he could ever have anticipated. Dystopian AU, Zosan.





	1. Chapter 1

Sanji despised small cuts. Bruises were fine, bruises healed up nicely without any fuss involved. Even with large scale injuries where there's enough blood to make you think ,"Oh geez that's a lot of blood", at least then you're allowed to put an ice pack on it, to numb the pain in some way. But he would never think about doing that with a small cut. He'd just end up looking like a twat. Well, he probably looked like a lot of things in that moment. Desperate, scared, drenched in sweat, and now bloody; it certainly wasn't the image he had set out to accomplish when he woke up that morning.

Sanji wiped away at the aforementioned tiny, miniscule cut, and looked over his shoulder. No signs of any armored forms running toward him, with fevered determination and loaded fire-arms. He might've taken that for a good sign if it weren't for the fact that he could still hear each offensive term they threw at him, even over his ridiculous panting. It was all well and good learning how to defend yourself in combat, but when it really came down to it, the best option was to just run. Unfortunately for Sanji, he hadn't had much experience in running for his life up to that point.

As a silver lining though, the first thing he stumbled upon when entering the Outside, wasn't a long stretch of scorching desert, or an active volcano (though that would be a pretty cool way to go). Instead he appeared to be running through an area overrun by trees; miles upon miles of trees that didn't even appear close to the ones he knew. He never would have thought that they could grow to such heights and widths, and in such close proximity to each other. There were probably more trees in this one area then there were people living in Meridium.

He took another risky glance over his shoulder and despite the fact that it had felt like he'd been running for miles, he was still able to make out the tiniest sliver of Meridium's chrome plated walls, radiating through the gaps between the trees.

Realizing how close the city really was, he felt his gait increase in speed, but at the cost of his ability to stay upright. Tripping and scrambling his way further into the tree covered area, he couldn't help but let out his first panicked cry, once he heard the dreaded sound of Meridium's hounds, howling at the top of their lungs. The countless horror stories he'd heard about the man-eating animals suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and his heartbeat scaled up to an unhealthy tempo.

His lack of attention on what was in front of him allowed life to hand Sanji yet another shitty outcome; by placing a steep ditch directly in his path. His stomach dropped seconds before his body did, and he barely had enough time to wrap both arms around his head, before bouncing clumsily off of soft, spongy mud, and landing painfully on his rear.

"Fuck…" Sanji hissed through gritted teeth. His shirt sleeves squelched against the sodden mud, as he hurriedly clambered back into a sprint. The howls echoing throughout the area became louder, and more desperate. No doubt about it, those dogs had a keen sense of hearing. Sanji rubbed his behind as he haphazardly bumped into oncoming trees, not focusing on direction, but more distance between him and his pursuers.

He managed to spot a clearing about a hundred yards in front of him, and once reached, he crawled underneath a web of low hanging branches, taking half a moment to survey his surroundings. He'd stumbled upon a neat circular area devoid of any trees, covered in thousands upon thousands of yellowing leaves that he had to wade through.

Sanji couldn't help but take his time to be wary of each step he took, as he headed toward the middle of the area. Something about it felt slightly...off. It certainly had the appearance of something natural, but he couldn't help but feel that there was some kind of man-made element to the place.

A brutish, "HEY!", prompted Sanji to remind himself that he was not an expert on all things natural, and his overworked reflexes commanded him to run forward. That was, of course, the wrong decision. As one minute he was contentedly running upright (as humans do), and in the next, his entire body had shot up into the air, flipped upside down, and left to hang in midair; swinging uncouthly from left to right. Sanji strained his neck up to see what kind of contraption had wrapped itself around his leg, causing his suspension.

But like everything else he'd seen up to that point, he was completely stumped as to what it was. It looked like hair … or possibly some kind of undiscovered fibre? It had been woven together to create some kind of abnormally large thread. Whatever it was, if it was capable of suspending a fully grown person in the air without ripping at all, then it was definitely made of strong stuff.

Sanji depleted all his upper body strength as he strained his hand closer to his numbing leg, barely brushing his fingertips against the loose strands, before the sound of rustling leaves caused his body to freeze up, and drop back down like a heavy sack. His inverted view and rush of blood to the head distorted his vision, but he was able to distinguish the shapes of four human figures approach him, each clad in a black, hooded cloak.

"Oh shit …" Sanji whispered under his breath. They weren't Meridium soldiers, but that was no excuse to think that he was safe. These were Outsiders, inhabitants of this ungoverned land, and if the stories were anything to go by, then he might have found himself in a worse position than before.

"And you guys said this wouldn't gonna work," the largest figure said as he chewed on something gaudily. His face was completely hidden by the oversized hood.

"Well he ain't no soldier but...check out the blonde hair - ya think he's a noble?" said another, the smallest one in the group.

"Nah, even if he was, why the hell would a noble try and escape from the Shards?" said the figure closest to him. His tone was the most relaxed out of them all, and he rested a lazy hand against something shiny poking out through his cloak.

"Maybe he got fed up of being rich. Hey kid! What's the matter! You couldn't stand the sight of gold anymore, is that it?!" the tallest figure heckled, as the others laughed it up without a care. Sanji couldn't tell if this was just friendly banter, or how Outsiders treated their victims before they moved on to torture.

His eyes widened and his breathe hitched, as he saw the closest one to him march forward. "S-Stay back!"

The sandal-clad feet came to a stop and the rest of the group swayed their attention back to him.

"I-I'm warning you! I've got one hell of a trait! So don't you fucking dare come any closer!" he screamed. Shit...what the hell was he doing?

"Trait? Did he just say he had a trait?" said the large one.

"Holy shit, and I thought our luck had drained out this year! Man I told you guys not to make fun of that shooting stars thing!" said the small one.

Sanji ignored their excited cheers and focused his attention on the one closest to him, who had chosen to remain silent.

"I said stay back asshole! You have no idea the amount of pain I'm capable of! How the hell d'you think I escaped Meridium huh!? By sheer dumb luck!? If you take one more step, I swear I'm gonna-"

Sanji's veiled threat was cut short when he felt something sharp collide with his shoulder.

He swivelled his head round fiercely to see the smallest Outsider holding some strange flute-like instrument to his mouth. All of a sudden, a numbing sensation started to take hold of his body, flowering out from the impact-zone on his shoulder. As his vision succumbed to the encroaching darkness, he was just able to make out a fuzzy shape enter his field of view. The last thing he remembered seeing before passing out, was the distinct colour of red standing out against black.

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"We got any seasoning for this?"

"Oh well see, we ran out of saffron last week, so urr we're just gonna have to hold out for the time being."

"Shut. Up. I mean do we have any salt or anything like that, I'm getting sick of the same taste in my mouth."

"I'm getting sick of those ungodly noises you make when you eat. You know you're allowed to chew like normal human being right?"

Sanji's mouth felt dry. He heard multiple male voices converse with one another, and a sound that resembled keys being tapped on a keyboard. As his brain pushed its way out of unconsciousness, the pain around his wrists became more apparent, and he quickly realised that his arms had been placed behind his back, completely immobilized. His body instinctively jolted up into a sitting position once he recognized several of the voices.

As the dizziness cleared, he tried to process the scene before him. He was in a room that was so beyond what he thought of as decrepit. It had been stripped clean of any furniture or carpet, and was covered in things Sanji thought could only be grown outside. Before him lay a small fire that, compared to the one's used in holograms, looked so weak and primitive in comparison.

Four men were positioned around the dilapidated space, and once Sanji had seen the black cloaks hanging above the fire, he immediately propelled himself backwards, hitting his head against the cold, hard wall. "S-Stay back!"

"Woah, woah, woah easy kid, take it easy now, we're not gonna hurt ya alright?" a man with red hair said, as he made calming gestures with his hands. The three jagged scars running down from his forehead to his cheek, did little to dissuade Sanji from not panicking. He struggled against his bonds, as he looked for an escape route that wasn't already being blocked.

"W-where the hell am I? Get me outta this …" he looked down at his hands, they were wrapped in more of the thread from earlier "… this stuff right now!"

"What! Ha ha ha! You don't know what rope is kid? Man that makes me feel so old, say whaddya use to tie up your shoes, huh?" the smallest guy in the room mocked, as he adjusted a worn out bandana on his forehead.

A man whose head barely brushed against the ceiling, held up a pair of Meridium's 32nd edition shoes, "Apparently they don't even have to bother tying their shoes anymore, these just do all the work for you!"

Sanji looked down at his white socks, "H-hey give those back asshole!"

"Asshole? Man come on is that really the kinda language we deserve for saving your life back there?" said the red-head.

"Saved me? You fucking kidnapped me and tied me up!"

"Well goddammit kid, what the hell were we supposed to do? You were the one that said you had 'one hell of a trait'!? Those were your exact words right?! That...that is what you said right?"

"I … y… yeah …" Sanji lowered his head. Technically he hadn't lied, he really did have a trait. But it was so useless and weak that sometimes he had a hard time convincing himself that he even had one. Manifesting a trait in your early twenties was practically unheard of, and it was most likely still in it's early development stage. But perhaps he might not have a reason to use it after all.

"So … you're saying you saved me?" Sanji said as the tension in his body started to withdraw. "... You're not gonna like, eat me or anything?"

"What!? Bwahahaha! Hell naw we ain't gonna eat you, what d'you take us for? Just some blood thirsty maniacs tryna kill every innocent person we come across?" the red-head guffawed loudly as he smacked his knee.

"I'm sure that's what everyone in the shards is led to believe, Shanks," the tallest one said as he started to roll a cigarette. He looked down at Sanji with condescending eyes.

"Yeahhhh, I guess you're right," the red-head said. Unlike the rest of the Outsiders, he had opted to keep his cloak on, but instead had it draped over his shoulders.

Sanji had noticed it before but, secured to the man's hip was a sword, resting in a maroon leather casing. The only time he'd seen swords were in theatre plays, but he had almost forgotten what they looked like ever since the media prohibition. He found it strange that even though the other Outsiders carried guns, he had opted for a theatre prop as his primary weapon.

"I bet things haven't changed much in the shards, apart from footwear I guess. You … do still call it the shards right?" he asked as he poked at the crackling fire, staining the concrete beneath it with ash and charcoal.

"Well, it's kinda seen more as a curse word now … but yeah we still call it that," Sanji mumbled.

The Shards. An expletive used to describe Meridium's iconic towering skyscrapers, which bore a striking resemble to broken shards of glass, bursting out from the earth. At first glance, the sheer volume of light passing through each crystal tower's surface was enough to take your breath away. But the glistening spectacle had merely been built in order to hide the ugly truth. The truth that Meridium was, at its heart, a city of repression, a city controlled through an immoral, dictatorial regime, that sought to strip each citizen of their every human right.

In this world, you were given two choices. You can live out your days in peace in Meridium, or perish in the Outside. Though Meridium provided their citizens with lavish homes and jobs, it came at a great cost. To live in a totalitarian society like Meridium's, you were required to hand over your freedom willingly, lest you suffer the consequences. Cameras had been placed in every street, building, and home to ensure that even by cracking a joke about the city's government, nobles, or laws, it would be met with unrelenting opposition, and in some cases, the issue of a death penalty.

People only appeared content because they had to be, because they were in constant fear of the consequences they'd face should they appear otherwise. It was surprising how long it had taken for Sanji to attempt an escape. Though he wished it had been made under better circumstances.

"A'right I'm just gonna get you outta those restraints now cos it's starting to bug me," the red-head said as he scuttled over to Sanji, plucking a small knife out from a pouch attached to his belt buckle.

As he pushed his shoulder forward, Sanji noticed something strange about the way the man carried himself; realising quickly that the black cape hanging from his shoulders was there to deter from the fact that he was missing an arm. It made his choice in weapon even more mystifying. Why leave yourself so vulnerable to attacks, by depending on your skills as a close-range combatant, when you yourself have such a debilitating handicap? The man seemed comfortable with cutting away at his bonds however, and flung them onto the fire once he was done.

Though Sanji still kept a keen eye on all the possible escape routes, he felt his body relax even more once the tension had finally been lifted away from his wrists. Despite the fact that the amount of weapons in the room outweighed the number of people, and despite the odd menacing look thrown his way; the group of Outsiders had stopped giving him any real cause for concern. If they had wanted to kill him, then they would have done so already. He didn't even want to think about the kind of situation he'd be in if they hadn't showed up.

"So how 'bout some introductions then?" the red-head declared as he stood up. "Name's Shanks, the leader of this here mottley crew," he said, as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Then there's the fa-ahem, then there's broad-shouldered guy, Lucky Roo," Shanks announced, after a fierce growl from the large man behind him. The entire time Sanji had been there, Lucky Roo had been doing nothing but chomp his way through a roasted leg of venison. His getup had to have been the strangest out of them all: green goggles, a green and white striped shirt, a yellow jacket hanging from his shoulders, and some kind of handkerchief he'd tied round his head.

"Stern one in the back is Ben, he a...he's a lot to handle but, once you get to know him, he can be a real sweet-heart."

Ben was busy puffing away at his rolled cigarette, and looked up for just a brief moment, introducing himself by way of a grunt. In the afternoon light, the multiple jagged scars etched into his skin became more noticeable; no doubt there were probably more hiding under his shirt. This, along with his black, overgrown hair, and grey irises; matched the ideal image that came to mind at the mention of the word Outsider.

"And last but not least is Yasopp: he might be small, but he's one of the finest marksman I've ever come across. Trust in him, and he'll make every bullet count."

"Or every dart in your case," Yasopp said, as he held up a government issue dart for emphasis. His bushy eyebrows and patchy stubble gave him the appearance of being the oldest in the group. But he had a youthful energy to him, and he'd given Sanji the least amount of disapproving frowns.

Sanji smiled sarcastically. Judging by the scraps of plated armour incorporated into their outfits, and the government issued guns stashed into their belts, it was obvious to Sanji that this particular group of Outsiders were well accustomed to ransacking Meridium patrol squads, on a regular basis.

"I hope you're not gonna make this awkward by not giving us your name?" Shanks said, with a beaming grin.

Sanji cast his eyes to the side, and gathered up his knees. "I guess that's not really important anymore. My records are probably being incinerated as we speak. The only piece of evidence left of my existence will be my arrest warrant. It'll be like I had never even been born."

"Well duh! Of course you don't exist in the shards anymore. I mean that much is obvious!" Shanks said by way of an attempt to cheer Sanji up. "But out here!? Out here, in the real world, you finally have a chance to live the way you want, to really make a name for yourself! So, what's it gonna be?"

Sanji peeked his head up slightly to look at Shanks. "It's Sanji …" he mumbled into his hands.

"Ahh Sanji is it? Well then Sanji, it's nice to meet ya!" Shanks announced with an outstretched hand, which Sanji shook with hesitance.

"Well, now that we have the boring unpleasantries outta the way, we can move on to the real reason why we saved you!"

Sanji did a double take. "What?"

"Look, I'm sure it might have seemed like we were performing some kind of selfless act-"

"I'm sure from your point of view it seemed like we were your guardian angels sent to save you from a bittersweet end," Ben uttered with an oozing tone of sarcasm.

"I'd say it was more of a rock and a hard place kind of situation," Sanji replied bluntly, which seemed to annoy the hardened man.

Shanks cleared his throat, "Anyway, the truth of the matter is, we didn't just save you just cos we felt like it."

"Once you mentioned having a trait, we had to rethink what we were gonna do with you," Yasopp said.

"...What the hell are you talking about?" Sanji said, shocked by this sudden reversal of trust.

"Look we have a...job, that we'd like you to do for us kid...and this job, it requires someone who has a trait," Shanks tugged at his baggy trousers and knelt down so that he was at eye level with Sanji. "Sanji, have you ever heard of a place called Dressrosa academy?"

Dressrosa Academy? Of course he had. It had sat perpetually at the back of his mind the entire time he had tried to escape. For normal folk, Meridium and the Outside really were the only two options to choose from. But for the very select few who actually possessed a trait, for people like him, there was a third option: Dressrosa Academy.

He had first learned about it in his fourth year at highschool: one of the academy's scouts had been attending one of his assemblies, and had asked for every student with a trait to raise their hand. He told them that those with traits had all been given an equal opportunity to live a life outside of Meridium. That there was a school, an academy, that had been built specifically in order to house those capable of displaying 'unique gifts'; to help further their education, and to contribute to the fulfillment of their full potential.

Only five students raised their hands, and all five of them accepted his offer without a moment's notice. It was one thing to enter an institution free from harassment or discrimination toward people with traits, but to be able to freely leave Meridium's dictatorship without any ramifications toward you or your family? That was the stuff only dreams were made of. And Sanji had spent the better half of a decade doing just that, dreaming of the day he could raise his hand, and be whisked away from the hell that was Meridium.

Sanji eyed Shanks skeptically. "Yeah I've heard of it … why?"

"Well see, we've been keeping an eye on that place for … god years now, and it's urr well let's just say we've got our own personal affiliation to the place," Shanks said, his eyes diverting away from Sanji's. Behind him, Yasopp cleared his throat and shifted in his spot.

"You see we're concerned about the school's … shall we say, teaching methods … amongst other things."

Sanji's nose wrinkled. Why would a group of Outsiders concern themselves with the practices of a school?

"Now we've been trying to gather as much information about the place as we can but … it's difficult … their security it's-well it's not exactly what you'd expect from a school."

"Shanks," Ben said sternly, "stop beating around the bush, and just get it over with."

Shanks sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, I'm gonna level with you kid, we … we're on a bit of a tight schedule here. Recently we've been hearing some … some rumours that … several of the academy's top students have gone missing in the past year. Now, we realise that we can't base everything we know on just rumours but, frankly, it's not a risk I'm willing to take. So that's why we've decided that … that we need someone on the inside."

Sanji stared up at the four figures in the room incredulously, struggling to comprehend what he was being told, "Hold on, hold on are you … let me get this straight, are you asking me to be your spy?"

"What gave you the impression that we were asking?" Lucky Roo piped up, laying a heavy hand on top of the ridiculously large gun nestled in his belt. Sanji couldn't help but let his mouth hang open. First the lies … now he was being threatened?

"Look, kid...I really don't wanna have to do this to you but...if you don't cooperate with us then... then we're gonna have to turn you over to the authorities," Shanks said, with a fairly convincing ounce of human sympathy in his voice.

Sanji clenched his jaw, and squeezed his eyes shut. How could he have been so stupid? Of course there was a catch. Of course he couldn't have just been saved based on human kindness and empathy.

He sighed. Who was he kidding? Of course it was always going to turn out this way. He just felt anger towards his own emotions; towards the fact that it had felt like he'd been betrayed in some way. But these men were still complete strangers to him, still people who had their own goals and agendas. He didn't have any right to feel betrayed.

"Look it sucks to have do this, but … what we're doing … what we're trying to accomplish, it's important to us … and we can't afford to let some kid jeopardize that. You understand that right?"

He could call these guys assholes. He was allowed to do that now but … what Shanks said … it did make sense to him. And he hated that.

"Yeah...I understand..." Sanji mumbled, as he stared listlessly into the fire.

"Great!" Shanks cheered, as he leapt to his feet with a newfound energy. "So! How's about we fill you up with something warm, and then we can start thinking about heading out?"

Sanji looked up at Shanks. At his scarred face, and his laid-back posture. They both convinced Sanji that this man had seen the very worst of what the Outside had to offer. But his eyes told a different story. He had the eyes of a man with a newfound lust for life, an unhindered enthusiasm to take control of his own destiny, regardless of what those around him said. And those were the kind of people Meridium's government were really afraid of.

"Well...can I at least get my shoes back?"

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Sanji had always liked the evening time. Not night-time, not when the curfew had just started, but when the sun was still clinging to the last dredges of the day. It was the only time when it was entirely acceptable for people to travel together in large droves, once they had commenced their journey home after finishing school or work. A true sense of communion and camaraderie was shared by all, everyone received the same amount of joy and relief at the prospect of finally returning home. He could always sense the same overwhelming urgency to reunite with loved ones; the one true source of joy even Meridium couldn't tarnish.

Sanji had always been jealous of those who got to drive home. Strolling home from school, he would always conjure up a fantastical sense of purpose shared by each driver. That for just one brief moment in the day, they were the ones in charge of their own destiny. It was pretty sad to admit it but, sometimes he liked to imagine himself driving through the city, and taking a wrong turn, ending up on a road no-one even knew existed. And that road would lead him straight out of Meridium, to a better place, a better life. In a way, he had made it onto that road, but not in the way that he would have liked.

He was standing in the middle of another clearing, with both his hands raised in the air. Nearby, a stream carrying crystalline water flowed down a steady bank, keeping the plants and soil in the area moist and dewy. A loud rumbling sound echoing throughout the forest (a new word he'd learned from Yasopp) crept Sanji's panic levels back up to ten, but he made sure to pay close attention to it, as per Shanks' instructions. It was still hard for him to believe that in just one day he had not only escaped Meridium, but had also been chased down by man-eating dogs, had been kidnapped, then blackmailed by a group of Outsiders, and was now currently waiting for an armed vehicle to turn up and hopefully not shoot him on sight.

Shanks had assured him that at the first sign of danger, they would immediately abort the mission and help him escape via an ambush. But he had decided against disclosing their locations to Sanji, in the event that his nerves got the better of him. Normally he would find that kind of assumption about him insulting; but the rising volume of his own heartbeat drumming against his chest, confirmed to Sanji that there was at least some truth behind it.

Though he was unaware of whether the academy's guards were as cruel or as remorseless as Meridium's, it was certain to him that the upcoming encounter may result in either getting killed, or handed back over to Meridium authorities. Which also resulted in him getting killed.

It was so easy for him to have such little faith in his trait. It was barely capable of stopping a leaf from falling, let alone a bullet from piercing his skull. That was the image Sanji seemed to be unable to shake from his mind, as the rumbling noise grew louder and louder, so much so that he could even feel the vibrations resonate in the ground beneath his feet. This went on for another couple of minutes, before the source of the noise eventually decided to show itself, the sight of which sent shivers down his spine.

A 6x6 truck of colossal size and weight, rammed its way through the overhanging branches, letting out one last booming roar before coming to a stop. To see a vehicle that had been built to travel on wheels and powered by oil, was impressive enough when he saw it in a museum display. But to see one so up close and and so … alive was truly breathtaking. What was even more breathtaking was the amount of guards stationed both in and around the truck. As soon as they clapped eyes on him, every barrel of their outdated gun locked onto his head, and a chorus of the word "Intruder!" erupted from the group.

Sanji flinched and reflexively squeezed his eyes shut, willing his body to stay as still as a statue. He obliged the command to "Get on your knees!" in the quietest, calmest manner possible. He shakily peeled one eye open when he heard someone open one of the truck's doors and shout, "Sir, Commander Diamante sir! Wake up!"

He then saw a man with long brown hair, and peculiar red stripes running down his face, wake up from his apparent nap, and stare lethargically at Sanji, who was now shaking uncontrollably. He sighed in annoyance and poked his head out to the side. "Hey kid, I hope you plan on moving out of the way some time today."

"I-I want to join Dressrosa Academy!" Sanji blurted out. The guards gave each other sideways glances, and the commander sighed heavily, swinging his long legs out to the side and heaving himself out of the truck. He took three steps forward before stopping, and gave Sanji a quick once over. "You don't look like much of an Outsider to me ..."

"I … escaped from the city … t-this morning," Sanji said shakily. This prompted more confused glances from the guards, and the towering Commander raised an eyebrow.

"This morning? And your first priority was to come to us huh? Well I'm flattered … go on then, show us what you can do," he said sleepily, as he folded his arms.

"I urr … okay …" Sanji stammered as he slowly rose to his feet. He tried forcing himself to look away from the guns that were still pointed to his head, as he felt his body squirm under their gaze. The commander threw up a lazy hand sign, and the guards slowly lowered their weapons, still keeping a well trained finger on each trigger.

Sanji took a deep breath, and rubbed off the sweat that he had accumulated on his hands. Looking down, he picked out a small pebble hidden with the grass and roots, and aimed his quivering hand toward it. The method was simple: compel the pebble to float, and with time and effort, it should float. That was the only way he knew how to 'turn on' his trait, for lack of a better word. He tried moving the pebble. It stayed still. He tried again. And again, and again. No matter many times he tried, or how much he strained and squeezed his own brain, the pebble didn't move an inch. Tears started to stream down his face, as he clenched his hand hard into a fist, hoping that it would force the pebble to move. Move, godammit!

An irritated tut was all Sanji needed to hear. It was over. "Yeah I didn't think so kid," the commander said, as he turned his back on Sanji and started to walk away.

Sanji didn't dare move a muscle, his eyes were still fixated on the pebble. Time seemed to slow down, and everything around him became obsolete. The only thing that existed in that moment, was him, and that damn pebble.

He was so sick of feeling scared, sick of feeling useless, sick of feeling so weak, like anyone could walk all over him. Remember, he told himself, remember what it had felt like to stand up for yourself. There was a reason why he left Meridium, and it had nothing to with him being scared for his own life. It was because he had been given a chance to alter his course, to grab the wheel and take that wrong turning. He'd get into Dressrosa, and he'd do it for his own reasons. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. More than anything.

A short, a furious "WAIT!" managed to stop the commander in his tracks, and his eyes visibly widened at the feat Sanji was performing.

The tiny pebble had finally bent to Sanji's will, gently levitating four feet up in the air, copying the same twisting motions his hand were making. Even for such a small feat, the boundaries of his trait were being pushed to their limit, and it took every ounce of Sanji's concentration to keep the pebble from falling.

A huge raucous of laughter erupted from the guards, as they pointed and jeered at Sanji, "That's it!? That's your trait!?"

The pebble fell significantly in height, and shook under the pressure of both gravity and Sanji's trait. It dropped completely when the commander shouted "SHUT THE HELL UP!" and the smiles of each guard were wiped completely from their face, as they quickly stood to attention.

The commander turned his attention back to Sanji, who was red-faced and breathless. "You ever lift up more than just a rock?"

"Not really...it was only till last year that...well that I even realised I had it."

The commander stepped forward, picking up the pebble, and inspecting it closely. "Yeah that can happen sometimes. It's rare but sometimes traits just, well they just take their sweet time to manifest. I'm sure there's some kind of science behind it, but to be honest I really I can't stand for that kind of shite."

He flicked the pebble away like it was a feather, and extended a mammoth-sized hand toward Sanji. "All I know is that the academy would be more than pleased to have someone like you attend."

It sounded sad and kind of pathetic, but Sanji honestly couldn't remember the last time he had smiled like he had in that moment. The subversion of a perpetual frown felt strange and foreign to him, but it felt so good to be both relieved and happy at the same time. His hand was overwhelmed when he dove in for a handshake, but he shook it with a newfound vigour and enthusiasm.

"T-thankyou sir … I … urr …" he fumbled, struggling to find the right words that didn't make him sound like he was a grovelling mess.

"Ahhh there's no need for all that," the commander said. "Why don't you grab a seat up top with us and we'll take you straight back to the academy, huh?" He patted Sanji's back rigorously, and marched on back to the truck. "Come on boys! Let's move out!"

Though they still appeared to be confused by what had transpired, the guards nonetheless scuttled back to their positions.

Before he took another step, Sanji had to remind himself that he was still being watched by the Outsiders, still being evaluated on what he was doing and saying. Just before setting off, he stole a quick glance over his shoulder. There amongst the shadows cast by the trees, and in the instilling darkness of the setting sun, he spotted the unnatural colour of Shanks' hair. He was leaning against one of the trees, smiling and sending him a thumbs up sign. So everything was fine according to him? He must already have a plan set in place in order to keep tabs on him while he was at the academy. Though he was at a loss at to what their methods would involve.

Sanji's relaxed composure stiffened up once again, and he walked rigidly over to the truck, still completely unsure of what the day still had in store for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Never before had Sanji endured such low temperatures. Never before had he seen his own breath materialize before his eyes, in blurry wisps of white cloud, or felt his teeth gnash against each other so compulsively. The sun had officially set, and through the towering canopy above, Sanji could still spot small glimpses of the indigo night sky. It felt as though the closer they got to their destination, the more varied in appearance the plantation around them became, with some growing leaves the size of a grown adult, and some shaped as if a messy scribble had come to life.

As the truck began its steady ascent up a sharp bank, Sanji couldn't help but cringe as his body slumped heavily into the guard next to him. It elicited a low growl and a tighter grip around the barrel of the man’s gun. Sanji daren't look up from the spot between his feet, knowing full well that every other occupant in the vehicle was glaring at him with deep disdain. It seemed as though he'd entered into a bubble in which the only rule was to despise his very existence.

As much as he would've preferred to spend his journey toward his dream destination in quiet, wondrous peace, he could at least somewhat relate to their unabated displeasure for him. They were now in charge of escorting a complete stranger who had intruded on their daily duties, spouting wildly about earning a place at their prestigious institute, and being granted such a position after showing off his underwhelming parlor trick, that wouldn't even impress a child.

Of course they hated him, if Sanji had been in their position, he would have hated him. And yet here he was. Perhaps the reason their commander had changed his tune so quickly, was because it hadn't been the first time someone had tried to beg their way into the academy. Perhaps, it had been a daily occurrence for them to have their patrols interrupted by shit-scared escapees, foaming at the mouth, pleading for their sympathies, begging them to take them in, despite them having no traits to speak of.

Sanji looked away from his appointed spot on the floor, and instead focused on his twiddling thumbs. But it still didn't explain the guard's apparent hatred of him. Wouldn't they be glad to find someone who subverted their expectations, to find someone who finally told the truth. That was to say if his baseless speculations were correct, though probably not, given his extreme case of “overly active imagination syndrome”, he was apparently prone to in school.

He filled his lungs with dewy forest air and exhaled heavily, stewing over his excessive thoughts. Maybe along with his shitty trait, they also weren't big fans of his hair either. For the longest time, there had always been a prevailing sense of superstition surrounding civilians born with blonde hair. For those who believed in such things, it was a symbol of rebellion, a challenge to authority, and an assurance that bad luck would surely befall both you, and those around you. Course not as many people believed in that claim as much as they used to, though it would be a perfect way to explain all the bullshit he'd had to put up with over the years.

Sanji peered down at his knees to find that they had begun knocking against each other, in an attempt to counteract the cold, and he started rubbing his shoulders. He'd hoped they were close...he was unsure if he could stand the cold for much longer.

He felt something tap against his shoulder, and he turned to the nearest guard, who still looked stoic and grumpy. He then heard a whispered, "Psst hey!" from behind, and he craned his neck round to look. What he found was an extremely burly, herculean man, pacing alongside the moving truck, his gun relaxed against a huge, bulky shoulder, and an outstretched arm, gripping onto a jacket.

"Hey man, you look like you need this more than me." The man, who appeared to be in his late thirties, lifted away his narrow sunglasses as he spoke. Sanji couldn't help but take a few seconds to process not just the kind gesture, but also the older man's strange trait mutations; which had manifested itself into three pointed chins and blue hair.

Swallowing his disbelief, and struggling to properly convey his sheer gratitude, Sanji reached for the much needed jacket. "Th-thankyou...I...urr...thanks..."

He encased himself inside the ridiculously large jacket, and his body welcomed the new source of warmth. He turned to face the stranger again, unable to comprehend how he hadn’t noticed him before, given his huge size and stature. It was no surprise to Sanji that the cold appeared to have no effect on him; his enormous muscles and body mass probably saw to that.

"I urr I guess I'm still used to Meridium air conditioning," he said, sheepishly.

The man laughed heartily, oblivious to the opposite sentiment shared by his fellow guards. He looked to be the oldest out of all of them, and he carried himself with an experienced confidence. "Yeahhhh I remember my first time outside the shards, man that shit was cold! If someone had spilled hot coffee on me, I probably woulda thanked them!"

Sanji laughed, thankful for the break in an otherwise intense atmosphere, and he swivelled round in his seat to properly face the guy, “Yeah, yeah that doesn’t sound too bad at all.”

He couldn’t help but notice the guard next to him huff impatiently, and force the other passengers to move up a space, preferring just the tiniest bit of distance between him and Sanji.

"Ahh don't take any mind of them! They're not used to people getting accepted so urr… well on the spot like you! Not that that’s an excuse! I mean you got it in, right?! At the risk of your own life, I might add! You’ve got as much reason to be here as they do."

Sanji was taken aback by the man's heartfelt offering. Compared to the rest of the group, he was acting more like a lifelong friend, than any stranger Sanji had ever come across.

"Right...urr my name's Sanji by the way," Sanji said, tentatively reaching his hand over the barrier. The man grabbed Sanji's hand vigorously, and shook it with enough force to leave him feeling dizzy.

"Name's Franky! Us guys don’t get to see much of you guys but, if you ever do see me around, don't hesitate to come up and talk. First week or so is always the worst, no matter how tough you think you are- first it’s finding out where to eat, then it’s finding your classes then- ahh what I mean to say is just, don’t go keeping all that stuff to yourself now, got it?!"

"R-right! I will t-thank you Franky," Sanji said, his mouth strung up into a beaming smile.

The truck surged forward as it reached the top of the hill, and adjusted itself onto a path indented with tire tracks. Sanji was quick to notice the new presence of artificial light up ahead, and his growing sense of anticipation almost skyrocketed. Soon he would be entering through the gates of Dressrosa Academy, and although it was under some very, very, unfortunate circumstances, he’d soon be able to call his dream a reality.

"Now, urr I hope you don’t mind me saying this but…” Franky began saying, pulling Sanji out of his dream bubble,”...they ain’t exactly gonna let you off so easy for starting halfway through the year, that’s for sure. Ohhhh man I do not envy the amount of catching up you’ll have to do, my dude!"

Sanji’s shoulders slumped heavily, and his nose wrinkled, realising that no matter what kind of life-changing situation you were in, you still had to deal with homework. "Oh...really?"

"Yeah- but hey don't worry about it, you got a sick trait, you’ll catch up to the rest in no time!"

Sanji shifted slightly as he heard multiple scoffs coming from the guards, "I urr...I don’t really know about that."

Franky made a shooing gesture, "Ahh don’t worry about them, they're just jealous. Look if the chief's impressed then so am I. 'Sides telekinesis is just one of those traits where, y’know anything is possible. You just think up an answer to your problem and BOOM! Problemo solved."

"Teleki...whatsis?"

"Telekinesis. That’s...what your trait is right? The ability to move stuff with your brain? Or...is it just small rocks?"

"Uh no- I mean well that's the extent of it so far but yeah- I can move other stuff as well."

"Guess that's it then! Ya know come to think of it, all this time I've been here, I don't ever recall seeing someone with just your bog-standard telekinesis trait, student or otherwise...guess that makes you one of a kind huh?"

One of a kind? Was that possible? Sanji hated jumping to conclusions, but he too couldn’t recall ever hearing about someone who had the same trait as him. Although, being able to lift a fork for no more than five seconds, was really not something to write home about. But if you wanted to place him in a category, then yes, technically, his trait could still be classed as...telekinesis.

And if that was truly the case, then perhaps that was the reason why the Commander had agreed so readily. Surely, someone who held such a high rank as him, would have knowledge about the kind of traits that they would have to deal with. But that obviously changed quite a few things, Sanji pondered. If what Franky had said was true, perhaps he really was the first to possess this sort of trait. Perhaps it wasn't so useless after all.

"And at least it makes a changed from another water based trait! Not sure how many more of those "my soul flows like the river" types I could take, ya know what I mean?"

"Right...so urr how about you Franky, what's your trait- if you don't mind me asking."

"Well I'm pretty much just known as the dude with unbreakable skin. You try shooting me, stabbing me, you wanna blow off my face with a damn grenade, that’s always a fun one, and it ain’t gonna have any effect on me whatsoever! Not even a scratch."

"Wait so like...nothing can penetrate your skin?"

"Ew don’t say it like that bro! It’s more like...urr...it’s...you know what, that is a pretty good way of putting it.”

Sanji chuckled, “Either way it sounds really cool.”

“Yeahhhh, y’know it only took one bullet to the head for the scouts to just start losing their shit, and start shoving a bunch of papers in my face. Next thing I know, I’m sat in Dressrosa Academy, next to a guy who can pull sand out of his ass. Not literally like- I mean he can control sand, but he could probably do the other thing just as well."

“...Still that’s pretty amazing...it’s pretty much the scenario you can think of if you have a trait…”

“Yeahhhh I’ve known other guys who ain’t been so lucky...and lately it’s been-wait what am I doing, all this talking and monologuing and conversating, and I completely forgot about this being your first time!”

“Huh?”

Franky flicked his sunglasses back on and looked up, lifting up his hand in a sweeping motion. “Breathe it all in dude. This is what you’ve been waiting for, right?”

Sanji looked up. And not even the encumbering darkness could hinder his overwhelming awe at the sight of the magnificent building which stood before him.

It was just like he’d imagined...it was just as magnificent and...magical as he’d imagined. The architecture couldn’t have been further away from the soulless designs that had infected the buildings of Meridium. No valueless precious stone to be seen, no minimal design meant to blot out unique thoughts, and promote assimilation. Though Sanji couldn’t recognise any of the materials that had been used, it was easy to tell straight away that they had been sourced from the very earth is stood upon.

The upper half of the building appeared to be built from light brown panels, lined together to form sweeping, breathtaking shapes, and sat upon a foundation of dark brown units, stacked on top of one another, in a compact pattern. Running along the breadth of the building, and indented into the glossy courtyard, were panels decorated with beautiful markings, composed of colour combinations, Sanji never even thought possible.

It was a work of art, and not the kind that Meridium deemed to match their standards of conformity. It explained why the word, why even the concept of art existed. It had been made for the very purpose of taking someone’s breath away.

Sanji swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, and rubbed at his tingling nose. How could a damn building make him teary eyed? The thought made him laugh compulsively, and his smile refused to fade away. Images of the many drawings he had once created as a child came gushing forth; drawings of a magnificent castle, and an exotic paradise. Even the strange, yet elegant plantation adorning the courtyard’s decorative pools, was a big enough reminder of the inconceivable distance between him, and the suffocating confines of the shards.

“Wow…” Sanji uttered under his breath. He sat there slack-jawed, taking in every minute detail, and in comparison, the guards around him simply kept their heads down, incapable of engaging, or comprehending Sanji’s awe.

“Y'know you get used to seeing it so many times, but even now I still gotta admit...she really is a beauty huh?” Franky said, looking up at not just his school, but also his home.

Sanji was still too swept up in his own emotions to respond. He was well aware that, despite only making it this far as part of some elaborate plan, he believed that he was there for a reason. Why shouldn’t he feel good about achieving his dream? In a way Shanks had allowed him this favour. But obviously this didn’t come without a price. Soon he would have to start giving some serious thought into where the hell he should even begin with this “investigation”. But for the time being, he would surrender to his self-indulgent desires, and simply enjoy the moment.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

After almost falling flat on his face due to a miscalculated step, Sanji barely had time to return Franky’s jacket, and say his farewells, before being dragged away by the overbearing commander, towards some unknown location. He didn’t mind though, it was better to know where the hell he was supposed to go, rather than bewilderingly wonder around the academy. It was late, and he was sure both the commander and his patrol were just as tired from today’s events as he was. But only slightly.

“This way,” the commander grumbled, taking a hard right past a too brightly lit corner, opening onto a long winding hallway.

The interior wasn’t as breathtaking as the outside, and it even reminded Sanji of the buildings built before his time, the one's that Meridium were in the process of demolishing. Brown carpets, and yellow paint, metal door knobs attached to manual doors. A prioritization of function over appearances. Not that Sanji minded, it was still a plus in his books.

After rounding a few more corners and walking the length of a couple more hallways, the commander finally stopped at a door Sanji thought they’d passed about ten times. As the door was wrenched open, Sanji peered into the dark room. It’s only light source appeared to be coming from a desk lamp, sat upon an old, light brown desk, occupied by a woman in her late fifties, rifling through a magazine that Sanji swore had been banned in Meridium about five years ago.

She peered up over her white, cat eye glasses, evidently annoyed by the fact that they’d just interrupted her reading time, and took a deliberately drawn out puff from her smouldering cigarette. Clearly they had entered a space entirely dedicated to just her, as the various works of art dotted around her office space, bore a great resemblance to her choice both in clothing, and in hair dye. Even in the darkness, Sanji had to strain his eyes when taking in the screaming purples and greens sewn into her floral dress.

“What the hell d’you want this time of night? I've told you before about interrupting my reading hour,” she said, her voice deep and husky, no doubt from years of smoking.

Diamante flipped the light switch on at the wall, and the resulting glare from the florescent light, caused both Sanji and the woman to squint and shield their eyes. Blinking away the accumulating white blotches, he came to realise that they had entered some kind of medical office; complete with first aid kit, a hospital bed, and some other unfamiliar medical equipment. So this was the academy’s resident nurse, he thought.

“Jora, we both know you finish at midnight, besides this is a more pressing matter than just your average sprained knee,” Diamante said.

Jora raised her eyebrows at this, and arose from her chair, flicking the remainder of her cigarette into a coffee mug. Diamante pushed an unwilling Sanji closer toward the eccentric woman.

“Say hello to our newest student, fresh from the shards,” Diamante announced, slapping Sanji’s shoulder twice for emphasis, before stepping back.

Jora looked over at Diamante questioningly, before lifting up one of Sanji’s wrists, peering down at the various cuts and bruises he’d managed to acquire throughout the first half of the day.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I thought the recruitment team were still on their two year break, last time I checked,” she said, as she began listening to his chest with a stethoscope.

“Well we found him while out on patrol, says he managed to escape and came straight here-”

“Let the boy answer for himself Diamante!” Jora snapped, as she roughly yanked at Sanji’s ear, using an otoscope to peer in.

“Um I urr I wasn’t willing to wait any longer Miss-ah!” Sanji was taken off guard by Jora’s heavy manhandling of his mouth, not knowing how to react as she rummaged around, poking at his gums and teeth, with newly gloved fingers.

“Clean enough,” she announced, as she pulled away from his mouth harshly, “you were saying?”

Sanji rubbed at his aching jaw, “I urr I know it’s against the rules, and I know it’s out of the ordinary, but...I risked my life trying to escape the shards, all for the chance to come here…it means everything to me. Please just...don’t turn me away.”

Jora looked over at Diamante, who was stuck leaning against the open door. He simply nodded and Jora sighed. “It’s not my place to say yes or no, I’m just the one in charge of processing. If our resident stick-up-his-own-arse commander says you can stay, then you can stay.”

Jora reached inside one of the desk drawers, to unveil a more sophisticated looking syringe gun, prompting Sanji to back away slightly as she approached him with it in hand, "Urr what's- what's that?"

“S’nothing to worry about love, every student who comes through these doors has to give a blood sample, you shouldn't be any different. Come on don’t be such an infant,” she said, gesturing for him to expose his right arm.

He cringed as he carried out her request, wincing slightly as he felt the tiny needle penetrate into his skin, and as well when he saw the blood shoot up into the clear vial, filling it to the brim. Jora then extracted it from the gun with a click, and shook it slightly, before stashing it away in some refrigeration unit.

She then held out her hand expectantly, clicking her fingers with haste. “ID card? You did at least have the good sense to bring it with you, before throwing all caution to the wind?”

Sanji reached into his back pocket, pulling out the only thing of value he’d managed to carry with him beyond the shard: a small card containing any and all information about him. His credit score, his contact details, even his place of birth. Anything which Meridium deemed worth knowing was on that card, and every citizen is issued with one the minute you are brought kicking and screaming into this world.

Each copy is encased within a hard plastic cover, and attached to a handy dandy keychain, as a means to prevent misplacement, which usually resulted in an arrest for gross negligence, and potential treason against the government. Sanji warily handed it over to Jora, well aware of the fact that by now, his card had probably been wiped clean of any data.

“Urr just so you know-” Sanji started to explain, but was interrupted when Jora snatched the card away immediately, and started swiping it through a vintage Grade II Meridium© scanner.

“Bloody thing’s on the fritz again,” Jora complained, when the scanner displayed the word, “UNREAD”, in bright green letters. She sighed, and tried slamming the worn out equipment a couple times, in an attempt to restore it to its full functioning capacity.

“Useless old...look we'll just get you to fill in these papers when you get the chance, and then we can transfer the details onto another card, I’m sure we’ve got a couple spare lying around here somewhere...” she said distractedly, rummaging through a stack of files in a nearby cabinet.

She handed over a small bunch of papers, held together with a paperclip, along with his card. “You ought to hang on to that, you never know it might come in handy one day,” she said taking a swift glance down at the card, “Sanji.”

He took it and shoved it inside his back pocket, folding the papers sheepishly. That was it? He thought Shanks had said that the security here was tight. They were seriously willing to blame the card rejection on just the equipment failure? And what about the flimsy excuse he’d given? Wanting to enroll at the academy because it “means everything to him”. It was the truth, but still...if this was the type of reception he’d expect to find going forward, then this whole ‘spy’ operation he had going on might end up being a complete cinch.  
“Have you thought about what you’ll say to him? Even for him this is a little…” Jora said, looking over at Diamante.

“It’ll be fine,” he answered gruffly, looking out of place and uncomfortable in such a motherly environment, “besides I already know what he’ll say.”

Jora raised an eyebrow mockingly, and made a face directed at only herself. She swiftly raised both of Sanji's arms, took a quick overall inspection, and retrieved a measuring tape from one of her pockets, snapping it tautly.

“Right then young man,” she announced. “How about some measurements?”

 

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

 

Ten minutes later, and Sanji was trailing after a repurposed training bot, instructed by Diamante to escort him toward his sleeping quarters. They had moved on from the older, more outdated style of the first building, and had entered into a luxurious, expansive hall, filled with holographic bubbles, white pristine walls, and round-edged furniture, cast in a thrumming blue light. Sanji had to squint every so often just to readjust his range of view, as the floating sphere became easily submerged within the dark, unknown background.

They were travelling along the perimeter of the huge open space, rhythmically passing by dozens of strange cubical shaped rooms, each occupied by a fast asleep individual. In fact 90% of the space within the room had been taken up by these cubicles, linked together back to back, extending from one end of the room, right the way over to the other. If Sanji had to guess, there must have been over a hundred of them.

It was...pretty weird. He figured that this type of arrangement worked just fine for some kind of office space. But this was where the students slept? What was even stranger was the fact that not only were the partitions no more than seven feet high, but that they had no doors attached, just two gaps on either side, leading on to the next cubicle, then the next, then the next, etc.

All you had to do was poke your head round the corner, and there one of your eight out of-god-knows how many neighbours, would just be sitting there, staring right back at you. There was just no privacy. Which certainly wasn't gonna end well for him.

The escort bot took a sharp right turn, and just floated straight on through someone’s bedroom without remiss or pause.

“Hey, hey, wait...” Sanji whispered, rushing forward to see where it had gone. He stopped just before the entrance to the cubicle, and motioned for the bot to wait when it turned to face him.

It stared at him blankly, and displayed an upward facing arrow on its monitor/face. Then it turned back around and continued on, incapable of explaining why it was totally okay to intrude on someone’s personal space, whilst they were sleeping. Sanji huffed and cautiously tiptoed across the cubicle floor, paying mind to each and every sound his shoes made.

“Sorry...sorry…” he whispered, as he passed through each abode, attempting to avoid several personal belongings strewn across the floor, as he tiptoed his way further, and further into the maze of cubicles.

“Please maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres for an optimum escort,” the bot droned in its lifeless voice.

“Shhit- yeah yeah I got it…” Sanji complained, as he ducked and swerved between various personalised decor.

Soon however, the inevitability of combining near complete darkness with a concentrated focus on what was ahead, culminated in a clumsy impact with a protruding chair leg, causing Sanji to land squarely on his face.

“Ahhhh fuck…” he seethed, whilst rubbing at his throbbing nose. The eruption of pain however, quickly subsided, and was instead replaced by total shock and fear, when he felt someone’s hand lunge and grip around his throat. It wasn’t a constricting hold, but it was enough to have his body freeze up, and beg his muscles to keep absolutely still.

He looked up, and saw a man of his age staring down at him with fierce black eyes, wordlessly threatening him not to move an inch. Wearing just black khaki’s and...army boots, the man gave off more of a soldier vibe than that of a student. His three golden earrings shimmered against the dark offset of the room, not a provision of comfort, but rather of total and complete dread. And clouded under the blue light filter, it was hard to tell what colour his hair was. Blue, green? Whatever it was, it must have been part of his trait mutation.

“We don’t know you,” he said, his voice deep and lacking of emotion. His face was mere centimetres from Sanji's, menacing and foreboding. Planted against the floor, it was difficult to tell whether he could out maneuver himself from the man's hold.

“Look pal, this is just a mistake, okay? I was just trying to find my room, no harm done,” Sanji whispered. To this, the man cocked his head to the side, and released his grip on Sanji just slightly.

“I don’t want any trouble alright, it's my first night here and I have no idea what’s-” Sanji stopped dead in his tracks, when he heard an annoyed moan coming from the bed in the far corner of the cubicle. Both Sanji and the man above him looked over to see another man...the same man, throw off the covers and rise, with apparent regret, to a sitting position.

“Who in the fuck thinks it’s a good idea to wake me up in the middle of the goddamn night?” he grumbled, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes.

“Wha…” Sanji managed to choke out, as he looked back and forth between the man currently gripping onto his neck, and the man swearing to himself from across the room. They were identical...it was like an exact replica of the same man. And not in the sense that they were twins. The hair, the earrings, the clothes, or rather lack thereof. Nothing looked out of place, nothing was placed slightly to the left, or slightly to the right. It was a perfect copy.

After expressing his anger at being woken up, the other man looked over at Sanji, a dark expression cast over his lethargic face. After a few moments of consideration, he finally rose from the bed and said the word: “Retract”. This prompted the man above him to lift his hand away from his throat, walk over to his doppleganger, and...merge into him. Sanji rubbed his eyes, trying to decipher whether or not what he just saw really was based in this reality. Did they just...fuse together?

“What’s wrong with you? I’ve seen way freakier traits that mine y’know?” the man said nonchalantly, folding his arms and rolling his shoulders back in a show of dominance, and sobriety.

“I urr…” Sanji muttered as he hoisted himself back on his feet, using a nearby desk for support, “I’m kind of new here so...I’ve just never seen-”

“Sir please do not disengage with your personal escort bot, please maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres,” the bot instructed, hovering back over toward Sanji.

“Yeah I got it!” Sanji shouted back, a tad louder than he would have preferred. He wasn’t too surprised when he heard a chorus of shushes erupt around him, and his embarrassment levels were soon set to reach critical mass.

“Sorry I- look I’m really sorry about waking you it’s just that I’m new here, and I just really don’t know where I’m going…”

“That’s great and all but I’m still trying to figure out the part where that's my problem. Or is that your trait, you can make people give a shit about something they clearly don’t? Cause if it is it ain’t working very well.”

Sanji’s next line of questioning was suddenly thrown completely out the window, and he was left feeling slightly stunned by the man’s incredibly rude attitude. “Aright I get it, you’re pissed off, I’ll just...leave you to it.”

He turned to leave, convinced more by his lack of sleep, and weary limbs, than by a pointless urge to start petty arguments.

“Yeah good luck finding out how to walk like a normal human being...fucking newbies…”

Ah...fuck it.

Instead he turned on his heel, and marched straight up to the jackass who still had his arms crossed, trying to look down on him despite their similarity in height.

“Alright you know what shithead, I have had it up to here with people treating me like I’m worth less than fucking dogshit, so why don’t you make another one of your copies and literally go fuck yourself!”

The man continued to stare at him, with tired, unamused eyes. “You done?”

Sanji had always made it a point not to indulge in his fiery, verbal tirades that had become somewhat of a bad habit. All it ever did was make things worse for him. But when all the right pressure points had been hit, and when he was on his last remaining ounce of patience, he couldn’t help but let all his accumulated anger out on this one man stood before him.

“Ohhh no I am far from fucking done alright you-” he paused briefly when another chorus of shushes erupted again. “You have no idea what I have been through today, and I bet you any amount of credits, that you wouldn’t have lasted five fucking seconds, if you had to put up with the kinda shit I have gone through!”

“Oh you poor poor thing, wait there while I go re-tune my violin.”

“Ohhh sure it’s so easy for you to just stand there with your chest puffed out, pretending you’re god’s gift to humanity! Hey you remembered the shirt, but who the fuck wears boots to bed!? I mean really? Really? You couldn’t have sprung for a fucking army knife while you were at it, just so you can be ready to take out the next person who dare enter your humble abode?!”

This, of all things, seemed to cause something to snap within the irate stranger, and he grabbed two handfuls of Sanji’s shirt, and snarled into his face, “Y’know what you’ve convinced me, you really are new here, otherwise you’d know not to start shit with me. When other people see me coming, they know better than to keep walking. They see the whites of my eyes, and they know it’d be better just to turn around!”

Sanji didn’t back down however, enjoying the fact that he’d managed to get a rise out of the seemingly stoic man. “Ohh sure that’s great, resorting to threats when you have no counter argument, brav-fucking-o!”

The man promptly let go of Sanji’s shirt taking a step back, and holding his clenched fists behind his back, a display he’d often seen when the soldiers back in Meridium didn’t get their way.

“You know what I’m glad you were able to show how much of an asshole you were, in so little time, cause now I know not to interact with you ever again, so thank you, thank you, and fuck you, and goodbye forever, I hope.”

And without uttering another word, Sanji made a swift retreat from the cubicle, hastily following after the overworked bot, determined not to give any more thought toward the asshole than he deserved.

He spent the rest of the journey soothing his bitter rage, clenching and unclenching his clammy fists, trying to revert back to the child-like splendor he was experiencing just a moment ago. It wasn’t long before the bot finally came to a stand-still outside of a random cubicle, and announced proudly, “Welcome to your quarters!”

It barely had time to wait for Sanji, before whizzing straight past him, zooming back the way it came, probably thankful for the fact that it was finally rid of him.

He peered in to the empty cubicle, thankful at least, that he had been provided with a freshly made bed, but not much else. There was desk, and a chair, a floating bar to hang clothes from, and boxes for storage. It wasn’t much, but the fact that it was in the academy, made it priceless. He couldn’t wait any longer, and he wearily made his way over to the bed, and slumped down onto it with a FWUMP!

He melted into the soft, cool mattress, and lazily kicked off his shoes, paying no mind to where they landed. It was a perfect time to reflect on the day’s events. Perfect, but not right. For him it was easier to succumb to his lack of sleep, his lack of energy, or even his lack of shits. It had all finally worn down on him, and he was glad he’d decided to focus on the positives, rather than the negatives, before falling asleep. Sure he’d met some assholes, but he’d also met some pretty nice people too. Jora seemed like a nice lady, and Franky well, he was probably the nicest person he’d ever met, period. Which category Shanks fell into was...up for debate.

He spent his last remaining thought on wishing for all the worst forms of karma on that complete asshole of a man from before. He prophesized that nothing good would ever come to him, and for those who around him. And for those pour souls, they had his deepest of sympathies.


End file.
